Relevance of EPR in today's world

1st March 2015

Uruguay bids farewell to Jose Mujica, its pauper president

Whatever your own
particular "shade" of politics, it's impossible not to be impressed
or beguiled by Jose "Pepe" Mujica.

There are
idealistic, hard-working and honest politicians the world over - although
cynics might argue they're a small minority - but none of them surely comes
anywhere close to the outgoing Uruguayan president when it comes to living by
one's principles.

It's not just for
show. Mr Mujica's beat-up old VW Beetle is probably one of the most famous cars
in the world and his decision to forgo the luxury of the Presidential Palace is
not unique - his successor, Tabare Vazquez, will also probably elect to live at
home.

But when you visit
"Pepe" at his tiny, one-storey home on the outskirts of Montevideo
you realise that the man is as good as his word.

Wearing what could
best be described as "casual" clothes - I don't think he's ever been
seen wearing a tie - Mr Mujica seats himself down on a simple wooden stool in
front of a bookshelf that seems on the verge of collapsing under the weight of
biographies and mementoes from his political adversaries and allies.

“This world is crazy, crazy! People are amazed by
normal things and that obsession worries me!" ”

Books are important
to the former guerrilla fighter who spent a total of 13 years in jail, two of
them lying at the bottom of an old horse trough. It was an experience that
almost broke him mentally and which shaped his transformation from fighter to
politician.

'Inner strength'

"I was
imprisoned in solitary [confinement] so the day they put me on a sofa I felt
comfortable!" Mr Mujica jokes. I've no doubt that had I not lived through
that I would not be who I am today. Prison, solitary confinement had a huge
influence on me. I had to find an inner strength. I couldn't even read a book
for seven, eight years - imagine that!"

Given his past,
it's perhaps understandable why Mr Mujica gives away about 90% of his salary to
charity, simply because he "has no need for it".

A little bit grumpy
to begin with, Mr Mujica warms to his task as he describes being perplexed by
those who question his lifestyle.

Not afraid to take
a swipe at his fellow leaders, he adds: "All I do is live like the
majority of my people, not the minority. I'm living a normal life and Italian,
Spanish leaders should also live as their people do. They shouldn't be aspiring
to or copying a rich minority."

Maybe so, but this
enigmatic leader remains an inspiration to many and is a reminder that politics
is meant to be a humble and honourable profession.

24th February 2015

UK approves three-person babies

The UK has now
become the first country to approve laws to allow the creation of babies from
three people.

The modified
version of IVF has passed its final legislative obstacle after being approved
by the House of Lords.

The fertility
regulator will now decide how to license the procedure to prevent babies
inheriting deadly genetic diseases.

The first baby
could be born as early as 2016.

A large majority of
MPs in the House of Commons approved "three-person babies" earlier
this month.

The House of Lords
tonight rejected an attempt to block the plan by a majority of 232.

Power packs

Mitochondria are
the tiny compartments inside nearly every cell of the body that convert food
into useable energy.

But genetic defects
in the mitochondria mean the body has insufficient energy to keep the heart
beating or the brain functioning.

The structures are
passed down only from the mother and have their own DNA, although it does not
alter traits including appearance or personality.

The technique,
developed in Newcastle, uses a modified version of IVF to combine the healthy
mitochondria of a donor woman with DNA of the two parents.

It results in
babies with 0.1% of their DNA from the second woman and is a permanent change
that would echo down through the generations.

3rd March 2015

Delhi rapist says victim shouldn't have fought back

In 2012 an Indian
student was violently raped on a moving bus in Delhi and died of horrific
internal injuries. Leslee Udwin spoke to one of the rapists on death row while
spending two years making a film about the case. She came away shocked by
India's treatment of women - but inspired by those seeking change.

The horrifying
details of the rape had led me to expect deranged monsters. Psychopaths. The
truth was far more chilling. These were ordinary, apparently normal and
certainly unremarkable men.

On 16 December
2012, the 23-year-old woman had been to see a film, the Life of Pi, with a male
friend. At 8.30pm they boarded an off-duty bus, with six men on board, five
adults and a juvenile. The men beat the friend and each raped the woman in
turn, before assaulting her viciously with an iron instrument.

Mukesh Singh, the
driver of the bus, described to me every detail of what happened during and
after the incident. While prosecutors say the men took turns to drive the bus,
and all took part in the rape, Singh says he stayed at the wheel throughout.

Along with three of
the other attackers, Singh is now appealing against his death sentence. In 16
hours of interviews, Singh showed no remorse and kept expressing bewilderment
that such a fuss was being made about this rape, when everyone was at it.

"A decent girl
won't roam around at nine o'clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for
rape than a boy," he said.

Mukesh Singh is one of five convicted of the crime - his brother Ram
died in prison before the trial

"Housework and
housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong
things, wearing wrong clothes. About 20% of girls are good."

People "had a
right to teach them a lesson" he suggested - and he said the woman should
have put up with it.

"When being
raped, she shouldn't fight back. She should just be silent and allow the rape.
Then they'd have dropped her off after 'doing her', and only hit the boy,"
he said.

Chillingly, he went
on: "The death penalty will make things even more dangerous for girls. Now
when they rape, they won't leave the girl like we did. They will kill her.
Before, they would rape and say, 'Leave her, she won't tell anyone.' Now when
they rape, especially the criminal types, they will just kill the girl."

24th February 2015

Tobacco 'kills two in three smokers'

The death risk from
smoking may be much higher than previously thought - tobacco kills up to two in
every three smokers not one in every two, data from a large study suggests.

The study tracked
more than 200,000 Australian smokers and non-smokers above the age of 45 over
six years.

Mortality risk went
up with cigarette use, BMC Medicine reports.

Smoking 10
cigarettes a day doubled the risk, while 20-a-day smokers were four to five
times more likely to die.

“It's a real
concern that the devastation caused by smoking may be even greater than we
previously thought”

Although someone
who smokes could lead a long life, their habit makes this less likely.

Smoking increases
the risk of a multitude of health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

Cancer Research UK currently advises that half of all long-term smokers eventually die
from cancer or other smoking-related illnesses.

But recent evidence
suggests the figure may be higher.

Newer studies in UK women, British doctors and American Cancer Society volunteers have put the figure at up to
67%, says Prof Emily Banks, lead author of the Australian study.

"We knew
smoking was bad, but we now have direct independent evidence that confirms the
disturbing findings that have been emerging internationally.

24th February 2015

MPs reject backbench bid to amend abortion laws

MPs have defeated a
cross-party bid to clarify in law that abortion on the grounds of gender alone
is illegal in the UK.

Conservative MP
Fiona Bruce, who spearheaded the move, said the law was being "interpreted
in different ways".

But her proposal
was defeated by 292 to 201. A review of the extent of sex selective abortion
was agreed to.

The government said
it had been consistently clear that sex selective abortion was "already
illegal".

'Explicit statement'

Making the case for
the change, the Congleton MP said her amendment would "clarify beyond
doubt in statute that sex selective abortion is illegal in UK law".

And it would
provide the government with an opportunity to address the "problem",
such as by bringing forward best practice regulations and guidance, she added.

"Why is this
new clause necessary? It is necessary because there is no explicit statement
about gender selective abortion in UK law.

"The law is
being interpreted in different ways because when the 1967 Abortion Act was
passed, scans to determine the sex of the foetus were not available," she
told MPs.

Ms Bruce said there was "confusion and mixed messages" on
gender-based abortion

Ms Bruce insisted
it would not criminalise any pregnant women because it applied only to doctors
authorising an abortion.

And she rejected as
"totally incorrect" the assertion that her proposal would block
abortions based on a gender-linked disability.

Ms Wollaston said
there was no evidence of a "systematic practice" of sex selective
abortion in the UK, and warned against stigmatising communities by implying it
was a widespread practice.

23rd February 2015

Church of England pays some workers below living wage

The Church of
England pays some staff less than the living wage - despite calling on
employers to pay at least that amount - it has been revealed.

The living wage,
calculated from the basic cost of UK life, is currently £7.85 an hour outside
London.

"It represents
the basic principle that people are not commodities and that their lives cannot
adapt infinitely in response to market pressures," the letter added.

In a statement, the
Church of England said it was made of independent parts but added: "The
vast majority of those employed by or sub-contracted to the central
institutions are already paid at least the living wage and all will be by April
2017.

"The Diocese
of Canterbury and the Pensions Board of the Church of England are committed to
moving to paying the living wage and hope to be at that point within the next 2
years. As charities both institutions require time to increase giving levels
prior to ensuring delivery of the living wage."

BBC religious
affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt said: "The intentions are there, and
this is what the Church is aiming to do, but in the meantime we have probably
not seen the end of this spat between politicians and the bishops."

21st February 2015

What looks like a traditional statue of
Buddha dating back to the 11th or 12th century was recently revealed to be
quite a bit more. A CT scan and endoscopy carried out by the Netherlands-based Drents
Museum at the
Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort, showed the ancient reliquary fully
encases the mummified remains of a Buddhist master known as Liuquan of the Chinese
Meditation School. While it was known beforehand the remains of a person were
inside, another startling discovery was made during the scan: where the organs
had been removed prior to mummification, researches discovered rolls of paper
scraps covered in Chinese writing.

21st February 2015

Why homeless Britons are turning to the Sikh community for food

Homeless people in
the UK are getting free meals thanks to a centuries-old Sikh tradition. Why,
asks Rajeev Gupta.

"We come here
because we get food... A hot meal. It's a luxury for me." John Davidson is
55 and homeless. He is one of 250 people who have just received a hand-out of
hot soup, drinks, chocolate bars and other supplies from the Sikh Welfare and
Awareness Team van parked up on the Strand in central London on a cold Sunday
evening. The Swat team, as they're known, park at the same spot every week so a
group of volunteers from the Sikh community can hand out vital supplies.
Homeless people, who overwhelmingly are not Sikh, patiently wait in line to be
served.

For the volunteers
handing out food here, this is more than just good charitable work. For them
this is a religious duty enshrined by the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru
Nanak, over 500 years ago. At a time of deep division by caste and religious infighting
between Hindus and Muslims in India, Guru Nanak called for equality for all and
set forward the concept of Langar - a kitchen where donated produce, prepared
into wholesome vegetarian curry by volunteers, is freely served to the
community on a daily basis.

Today, thousands of
free Langar meals are served every day in Sikh temples throughout the UK. The
Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, thought to be the biggest Sikh temple
outside of India, says it alone serves 5,000 meals on weekdays and 10,000 meals
on weekends. Every Sikh has the duty to carry out Seva, or selfless service,
says Surinder Singh Purewal, a senior member of the temple management team.
"It means we're never short of donations or volunteers to help prepare the
Langar."

In recent times the
Langar meal has acted as a barometer for the state of the economy. After the
2008 recession many Sikh temples reported a surge in the numbers of non-Sikhs
coming in for the free Langar meals. It's now common to see non-Sikhs inside
the temple, Purewal says: "We don't mind it. As long as people show
respect, are not intoxicated and cover their heads in line with our traditions,
then everyone is welcome."

The Swat team say
they decided to take the concept of Langar outside its traditional setting in
temples and out onto the streets when they saw a growing homelessness problem
in London. Randeep Singh who founded SWAT says: "When you go to the
temple, what's the message? The message is to help others, help your
neighbours. That's what we are doing."

21st February 2015

Chelsea fans sought over London station racist chants

Police are
investigating racist chanting at St Pancras station by men thought to be
Chelsea fans returning from a Champions League match in Paris.

It comes after an
incident of alleged racism by Chelsea supporters on the Paris Metro, when
footage showed a black man being pushed from a train.

The chanting in
London happened on Wednesday evening, the day after the club's 1-1 draw with
Paris St-Germain.

British Transport
Police say anyone with information should contact them.

Chelsea FC has
already barred five fans from attending Stamford Bridge following the earlier
incident.

It took place at
Richelieu-Drouot station in the centre of the French capital on Tuesday ahead
of the Paris St-Germain match.

Club 'disgusted'

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Burnley at Stamford Bridge in the club's first
game since the incident in Paris

Five people have been barred by Chelsea from Stamford Bridge in
connection with the incident

A number of

John Terry said in Chelsea's pre-match programme that what happened in
Paris was "unacceptable"

Manager Jose
Mourinho has said he was "ashamed" by the alleged racism.

In his matchday programme notes for Saturday's match against Burnley, which is also the club's annual
"Game for Equality", he said it was a time to "celebrate this
club's diversity".

He said it was an opportunity
to mark "the work we do to show that football is for everyone and that
Chelsea is dedicated to tackling all forms of discrimination".

The club drew 1-1
at home to Burnley in what was their first game since the incident in Paris.

Chelsea captain
John Terry, also writing in the club's programme, said: "Football is a
sport for everyone, that is one of the main reasons why we love it, and what
happened on the Paris Metro was unacceptable."

Terry was found
guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing QPR defender Anton
Ferdinand in 2012, and given a four-match ban and a £220,000 fine.

The Metropolitan
Police have released CCTV images of three men they are looking for in
connection with Tuesday's incident.

3rd March

Lent: Muslims
stand in solidarity with Christians by tweeting what they will give up until
Easter

For Christians, lent is a period of
self-restraint, marked by fasting, repentance, prayer and self-control. Luxury
or rich foods, such as meat and dairy are often avoided by those taking part.

Abstention from personal “bad habits” such
as watching television or eating too much sugar is also commonly practised.

The observance starts on Ash Wednesday and
lasts until Easter, as Christians imitate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in a
desert before being blessed by John the Baptist.

Using #Muslims4Lent, followers of Islam are
tweeting photos of themselves in which they declare what they will be giving
up.

Muslim American entrepreneur Bassel Riche,
28, told The Independent that he was inspired to start the started
the campaign after non-Muslim students joined in with the Muslim Students
Association’s Ramadan Fast-a-Thon at his former college, The University of
Houston.

“We would all gather in a big hall and
break our fast together at a hosted dinner and partake in interfaith dialogue,”
he said, explaining that he had observed lent around for four years, and wanted
to encourage fellow Muslims to join him this year.

“The goal is to thank the many Christians
that have always shown love and respect towards Islam by showing them we in
turn have the utmost respect for their beliefs,” Riche said.

Riche, who is also the founder of the
EidPrayLove website - which aims to show Islam as a religion of peace - added
that he hopes the campaign “will show the true face of Islam and take the
spotlight away from extremists."

“Despite what our extremists have done to
hijack our religion, we believe in peace, love, tolerance & harmony with
other faiths.”

“We don't want to be seen as some distant,
mysterious faith - we want to be accessible for people to open up to us, that
is the only way we can counter the misinformation," he said.

16th February 2015

Should ritual slaughter be banned in the UK?

Which matters more:
animal rights or the rights of religious minorities?

And which will gain
more votes among undecided voters on polling day?

Always an emotive
issue, religious slaughter has become an unexpected political battleground as
the general election approaches.

Animal rights
campaigners have long called for a ban on halal or shechita slaughter, which
amongst other requirements specify slitting an animal's throat quickly with a
sharp knife while it is still conscious.

However, in the
run-up to the general election, opposition to those methods of slaughter would
also seem to have become dog whistle politics: shorthand for targeting a
specific religious minority - Muslims - without saying as much.

UKIP last week said
it would ban all slaughter methods that didn't involve pre-stunning - causing
controversy amongst British Muslims and Jews, some of whom warned that any such
ban would in effect drive those who observe religious dietary laws out of the
UK.

For many of the
UK's almost three million Muslims, halal slaughter is a strict religious
requirement, as is eating kosher for many of the UK's 300,000 Jews.

Rules over stunning

Under the halal code, animals are supposed to be killed quickly with a
single sweep of a surgically-sharp knife

"Being cruel
to animals is a sin in Islam, and we do not permit any form of cruelty in
abattoirs certified by us.

"The
discomfort and pain experienced by any animal should be absolutely minimised if
not eliminated, and our standards reflect such requirements.

British and EU law
requires all animals to be stunned prior to being killed, unless the meat is
intended for Muslim or Jewish consumers.

Laws not applied

However, Animal Aid
said it had discovered a "remarkable weakness in the application of the
law", with the regulatory body, the Food Standards Agency, acknowledging
to Animal Aid that any slaughterhouse "can practise non-stun slaughter
without demonstrating that the meat is destined for religious
communities."

11th February 2015

England bans smoking in cars with children

Drivers in England
will be banned from smoking in their cars if they are carrying children as
passengers.

The move, which
will become law on 1 October, follows a similar ban in Wales and aims to
protect young people under 18 from second-hand smoke. Scotland is also
considering introducing a ban.

Anyone found
flouting the law in England could be fined £50.

The British Lung
Foundation welcomed the ban as a victory, but smokers' group Forest said it was
unenforceable.